Saving the Mail Order Bride

by Linda Broday

  Or possibly death?

  Five

  The climb to the cave was difficult, and finally Jack had to pull Nora up the side of the steep hill. To her credit, she didn’t cry out or complain. Determination lined her face instead, and that grit made her someone he’d be proud to ride the river with. He’d never seen another with her strength—except maybe Tally Shannon, wife to his friend Clay.

  Still, Nora Kane made him mad enough to rope a rabid coyote. It had taken all his self-control at times not to strangle her. If only he could smash the chain between them so he could go off by himself for just a few minutes.

  There was close, and then there was so close it smothered. A man craved space to breathe.

  Yet chained to her for a day and night, he’d come to know a little of what went on in her head. She had a gentle touch and endeavored to look on the bright side of a situation. He liked that. Even as bloody as he’d been in the stagecoach and afterward, when she should’ve been afraid of him, she’d stood toe to toe. But like everyone, she had her faults. Hers was being impulsive. Handcuffing herself to him and tossing the key. He gave a soft snort. And, Lord, that woman would argue with an iron jenny.

  Galloping hooves and riders fast approaching caught his notice and set his heart pounding. “Hurry. Someone’s coming.”

  “Oh no.” That built a fire under her, and she clawed the rest of the way to the large cave.

  His lungs burned as panic raced through him. He couldn’t get captured again. Not with Nora there. They’d get the wrong idea, and that would sure lead to the gallows, even with her denying he’d touched her. Didn’t matter.

  Jack scrambled the last few yards to the flat ground in front of the shelter and pulled her up into the cool dimness, praying they wouldn’t encounter angry varmints.

  The entrance was high enough to stand, the ceiling gradually sloping down the farther they went. “Hurry to the back and don’t talk. Pray they don’t look up here.”

  Although the whites of her round eyes revealed her fear, she did as he asked.

  Jack’s boot brushed against a length of shed snakeskin. He should probably tell her that they might’ve invaded a den of hibernating vipers. In the fall, the snakes sought dry, dark places such as this. But here in March, they’d be waking up and moving about, looking for food. Still, she was already terrified enough. No need to worry the excitable woman more.

  He sank down beside her against the cold earthen wall and took her trembling hand. His mouth was as dry as month-old bread, and hers had to be the same. The next available water he knew was a day’s walk. Nora wouldn’t last that long.

  And now trouble was hot on their heels, which would keep them hunkered down for a while. If they weren’t detected. If the members of the posse didn’t decide to make camp here and trap them.

  And if…a thousand ifs and maybes ran through his head.

  By now, his friends at Hope’s Crossing would have heard about his predicament. Clay and the others would come looking for him when they learned the stagecoach hadn’t made it to Saint’s Roost. If they could stay alive until then.

  The pulse in Nora’s wrist throbbed fast against his hand. But why? They weren’t after her. All she had to do was holler and they’d rescue her. She held his life in her hands.

  Yet he got the impression she might not want to be found.

  Shouts and the sounds of horses reached him. The men would scour every bit of ground. They wanted him that bad. He pulled the empty Colt from his waist and stared at it, cursing Dollard for removing the cartridges. Hell and be damned!

  He felt naked, vulnerable.

  Even one bullet could mean the difference between life and death. He’d been in far worse spots, but never without a pistol and some ammunition. Had no knife either. No kind of weapon.

  Nora leaned in to whisper, “What if they come inside?”

  “I have a plan.” What it was, he didn’t exactly know. Bash them over the head with the Colt? With Nora there? He couldn’t fight or do much with her shackled to his side. She could get hurt.

  One minute dragged by. Then two.

  Bootheels struck pebbles. Jack tensed and squeezed Nora’s icy hand, praying she didn’t rattle the chain or utter a word. Something nearby rustled, feet scurried. A rodent or maybe a badger. Please not a skunk. He’d been sprayed once, and it had taken forever to get that scent off. No one would come within a mile of him.

  Next to him, Nora shivered and pressed against his shoulder.

  Footsteps stopped on the rocky ledge just outside the entrance. Though the day was chilly, sweat popped out on his forehead.

  Two men entered the cave. Where had the second one come from? Jack’s stomach twisted at being caught by surprise. No excuse for overlooking the second rider. He had to get his head back on straight before he got caught. Nora Kane had messed with his good sense, cuddling up to him in her sleep the way she had.

  Without a light, the two members of the posse couldn’t see very far. Just as Jack thought that, the tall one struck a match and held it up. Jack and Nora shrank deeper into the shadows.

  “I don’t see anything. Do you, Red?”

  Jack barely breathed. He’d messed up in not brushing away their footprints. If the men glanced down…

  “Not a thing, Gilbert. There’s no telling what’s back up in there. You can go look if you want, but I’ve got the shivers.” The man pushed back his hat and scratched his forehead. “I lost a real good friend once who poked around in a cave this same time of year. A damn wildcat leaped out and mauled him to death before we could save him.”

  “A bad deal.” Red paused a moment, then added, “I keep thinking about that young woman Bowdre took. She must be real cold and scared. Bowdre’s a killer. Who knows what he’ll do to her? We’ll probably find her broken body lying on the trail.”

  Jack seethed. He’d heard whispers of the same talk before, but none spoken as plain as this. He’d never ended anyone’s life because he enjoyed it. And though the men he’d killed deserved what they got, each death had bothered him. And he’d never—nor would he ever—touch a woman in anger. He restrained the urge to jump up and set them straight.

  The tall, hefty one named Gilbert held up a new match and stepped farther into the cave. The hair on Jack’s neck twitched as he lowered his head and blocked Nora’s eyes, leaving nothing to glitter.

  She stiffened, her chest heaving. A sneeze. Hell! If she couldn’t contain it… Holding the chain so it didn’t clink together, he pinched her nose until she relaxed.

  “You know what bothers me, Red?” Gilbert peered closer into the shadows. “What happened to the manacles that Marshal Dollard had on Bowdre? Why did he take them?”

  “Well, I’m betting he put them on that pretty young woman so she couldn’t run.”

  “Yep, that’s probably what he did, the bastard.” After several long heartbeats, Gilbert swung around. “I don’t think Bowdre’s here.”

  “We should get down the trail. We’ve gotta be gaining ground, him being afoot and all. He shouldn’t even have gotten this far.”

  “I just hope we ain’t too late to save that lady.”

  Mumbling to each other, the searchers left, and quiet descended. Jack became extremely aware of Nora—how close his mouth was to hers, her breath brushing his cheek, and the special scent of her drifting near. Stifling the chain’s rattle, he quickly put six inches between them. “Don’t talk. Those lawmen could be just outside.”

  “That was close. I wanted to tell them that I’m in good hands,” she whispered.

  It touched something inside him that she would see her situation as positive. But why? They were cold, hungry, thirsty. She had no reason to feel that he was taking care of her, because he wasn’t. Irritated, he stuck the empty Colt back in his waistband.

  They waited there awhile longer, until he was certain the posse
had ridden on. “I think they’re gone. It’s safe to talk.”

  “I’m really thirsty.”

  “Me too. Try not to think about it.”

  “Hard not to.” Nora reached down beside her and held up something long. “What’s this, Jack?”

  “A snakeskin. They shed once or twice during a year’s time.”

  She sucked in a quick breath, jerked back, and threw it. She slapped his arm. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

  “What’s to warn? A skin can’t bite.”

  “You know how I feel about snakes.” She glanced around. “Do you think any live ones are in here?”

  “Most are still in hibernation for another three weeks.”

  “What was that rustling and scurrying I heard earlier?”

  “Probably a rodent of some sort. Won’t hurt you.”

  “Why are you always saying that?” She fumbled underneath her dress and pulled out something about five inches long that gleamed in the dim light. She held it out in front of her with a tight grip.

  Jack stilled, his eyes narrowing. “Is that a knife?”

  “Yes, and quite a good one.”

  “You had it all this time?” He couldn’t help the rising anger. Here he’d needed something to feed and defend them with, and she’d had it right there the whole blessed time.

  Hell and be damned! Besides all that, she could’ve killed him in his sleep. The only thing that probably kept her from it was having to drag his dead body around. He turned away, took calming breaths, and started with number one again, reaching the forties before he began to cool off.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, you’re counting.”

  It took the nineties before he allowed himself to speak calmly, although his voice remained tight. “I could’ve used that knife.”

  “You managed quite well.” Nora shot him a glance. “You really can’t blame me. A woman traveling alone has to have protection of some kind.”

  Everything inside Jack froze. “To defend yourself—against me?”

  Did she honestly think he’d hurt her? Had he been that threatening and mean? The answer was yes, he had threatened her. Quite a bit, in fact.

  “Against you, against everyone.” She rested a hand on his arm. “Please try to see it from my side.”

  Which was what? Then he suddenly found himself admiring her for having the gumption to arm herself. A woman alone did face all kinds of unsavory people. And why should she have trusted an escaped outlaw, a killer? His clothes were covered with dried blood, he could feel his bruises, and he’d messed with her on the stagecoach, touching her leg with his knee.

  Still, the truth that she felt safer with a weapon pricked him.

  His thoughts were in a turmoil, but admiration won out. Here he’d let the marshal strip him of his gun and knife, leaving him with only his hands, but Nora had kept her knife.

  Maybe she needed to be the outlaw, because she was smarter by far.

  Another calming breath. “Do you have anything else you forgot to tell me about, Nora?”

  “No, I think that’s all.” The way she chewed her bottom lip failed to convince him.

  If he stripped her down, what would he find? A small derringer and cartridges? Other things they needed?

  “Nora, tell me the truth. I have to know.”

  “Well, there’s one teensy little thing.” The smile she gave him was shaky at best.

  “Whatever it is, give it to me. I might have some use for it.”

  “You really won’t need this.”

  “Let me decide.”

  Nora swallowed and dragged her gaze from his. She reached into a hidden pocket of her dress and pulled out…What? A book? “Here. This is everything.”

  “What is this?” He opened the small ledger and glanced at the lines of names and numbers.

  “My insurance. That book contains evidence that will put a bad man behind bars for a long time. Please help me make sure nothing happens to it.”

  “What man?”

  “The vile one I used to work for. He kept me a prisoner for years.”

  Jack stuck the ledger inside his duster and pulled her up. “Let’s find some wood to make a fire, and then you’re going to tell me everything. About this insurance of yours, and about the rider we saw this morning. Deny it all you want, but I know you recognized him. I saw it in your eyes.”

  “All right, I’ll tell you what you want. Just don’t judge me. Never judge until you’ve walked in a dead man’s shoes.”

  He glanced down at Dollard’s boots on her feet and laughed. “Nora, you are something.”

  At the mouth of the cave, he held her back. “Let me make sure it’s safe.” Cold wind slapped his face when he leaned out, but he didn’t see any riders. He turned back to button up her coat, avoiding her large brown eyes. He’d be lost if he let them pull him in. “All clear.”

  They quickly gathered wood and soon had a fire going. He prayed they reached town before they ran out of matches, or that would spell disaster in the worst way.

  Seated by the flickering fire, Jack glanced at Nora’s stoic features and removed the ledger from inside his duster. “Everyone has a story. Tell me yours and how this book fits into it.”

  “You may as well know, since we’re in this together now.” She sighed. “I was thirteen when my parents died of cholera. I lived with an old aunt for a year, until she too passed. With no other relatives, I found myself on the street, sleeping under porches, chicken coops, or whatever I could find. I was dirty, freezing, and hungry. A man by the name of Flynn O’Brien took me in. He was the richest man in town and had the best of everything. He had a nice way of talking. I had the softest bed a girl ever slept on and plenty of food. He never raised a hand to me. At first, I thought of him as a surrogate father.”

  Jack could picture her as a bright-eyed young girl, lost and alone. Men preyed on the vulnerable. At least this Flynn O’Brien hadn’t stolen her innocence—not in that way at least. He suspected O’Brien had taken other things that were as valuable.

  Nora put a weary hand to her forehead. “One day about six months later, I was exploring the huge house and stumbled into a meeting between Flynn and a group of rough-looking men. They were discussing city officials and businessmen who hadn’t paid protection money—and they caught me listening. After that…it sent me in a downward spiral.

  “Flynn often played dice and card games with me and knew I was good with numbers. Since I’d accidentally learned of his racketeering, he put me in charge of recording the protection payments. Not long after, I learned they hurt or killed those who didn’t pay. But by then I was in far too deep to get out.”

  “I’m sure you saw too much.” Jack reached for her hand and found it icy. He knew what men did to those who saw more than they should.

  She shivered. “I watched him—and others—torture men in the basement with my own eyes. They did things you wouldn’t believe. I still hear their horrible screams inside my head. Everything is written in that book. Money. Deaths. Bribes. And I was caught in the middle, threatened daily, fearing for my life.”

  She lapsed into silence for a moment, the quiet broken by a rumble of thunder.

  Jagged lightning flashed outside the cave. Jack glanced through the opening at the brewing storm. “It’s raining.”

  “Wonderful! I’m so thirsty.” Excitement colored her voice as she slipped the knife back into its hiding place and hurried with Jack to the opening.

  Jack removed his hat and held it out. The wind drove the pouring rain sideways, which made it difficult to capture. They stood at the entrance for quite a while. When the hat was full, they held out their hands and drank from the sky. He watched Nora, head tipped up and laughing like a young girl. He didn’t think she’d had reason to laugh in a long while. Come to think about it, he hadn’t either. Happiness bubbled up in
side him at her smile.

  Back on the stagecoach, he’d thought she was a pretty girl. She was much more than that. Nora had brains and strength all her own.

  They finally went back to the fire that had almost gone out. Jack added wood. “Did you try to escape O’Brien?”

  Nora nodded. “Many times. Once I even made it to the train station and got into a seat, but before the locomotive could pull out, two of Flynn’s men caught me. After that, they watched me day and night. Then I met Millie Kent. She’s a young woman from here, and she told me about Luke Legend’s private mail order bride service. I contacted him through her, and she secretly delivered your letters.”

  “Such as they were,” he growled.

  Her voice was soft. “No, you offered hope of a new life. I loved how proud you sounded of Texas and your friends in that town you’re building. I heard your loneliness between the lines, and your longing for family touched me.”

  “Be honest. Would you have come if you’d known I was a wanted man?” He stared into her brown eyes, dreading the answer.

  She was quiet for what seemed a long time, brushing water droplets from her wool coat. “Yes. Yes, I would’ve. Texas is a lot better than Buffalo any day. Truthfully, I think I’d be dead if I hadn’t escaped. I had seen too much, knew too many things, and I’d become a liability Flynn couldn’t afford. The night I ran, I overheard him tell his closest confidant they had to silence me soon.”

  “Flynn let you keep this ledger in your possession?”

  “No. He locked it in a safe every night. While I waited for you to send the money to come, I searched for the combination and finally found it.” She lifted her gaze. “I wasn’t leaving without this evidence. He has to be stopped.”

  “So, your plan is what now, exactly?”

  “I’m not really sure. I guess take it to a trusted U.S. marshal who won’t be bought.”

  “The rider we saw this morning. Who is he? The truth this time.”

  “I believe he’s one of Flynn’s men. He followed me when I got off the train in Fort Worth. I had a time losing him.” She gave him a wry smile. “Or so I thought. He must’ve followed the stage.”